Physical Therapy Student Trains with Boston Ballet

Rebecca Bagley, a 3rd year physical therapy student at Belmont, spent the summer in Boston as she completed her 4th and final clinical experience with the Boston Ballet. In her position, Bagley worked alongside her clinical instructor evaluating and treating company dancers and mastering a variety of techniques including manual therapy, soft tissue mobilization, therapeutic exercise, taping and more. While she was there, the Ballet opened three shows in three weeks, providing considerable experience throughout her 6-days-a-week schedule.

As an undergraduate dance major and long-time dancer herself, the decision to head to Boston for her final clinical experience was an easy one for Bagley. “It has been a dream of mine since starting PT school to get the chance to combine my passions for physical therapy and dance,” she said. “I grew up training in many different styles of dance including ballet, contemporary, hip hop, tap and ballroom. It is a population that I understand from personal experience, and I am very passionate about. I was so thankful for the opportunity to work with professional dancers and learn from amazing physical therapists in this specialized field.”

Set to graduate in August, Bagley said her time at Belmont has prepared her for working with a variety of populations, including athletes. In addition to the time she’s spent preparing through her coursework, Bagley said she’s especially grateful for the opportunities Belmont has provided outside the classroom. Understanding her desire to work with both dance and physical therapy, she’s been able to complete both a research project and a short-term clinical experience with the Nashville Ballet.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity to work with a population that I am so passionate about and am interested in working with in my future career,” she said. “The physical therapy faculty at Belmont are very supportive of our goals and have created an environment where students are able to actively pursue their passions.”